Yaya and Kolo Toure have elected to stay with the Ivory Coast squad in Brazil following the death of their brother.

Ibrahim Toure, a 28-year-old striker with the Lebanon-based club Al Safa, died in Manchester on Thursday. He had been suffering from cancer.

Reports had claimed the brothers would leave Brazil to be with their family, but a team spokesman said that they would remain at the World Cup. Ivory Coast face Greece in Fortaleza on Tuesday and a win will see them qualify for the last 16.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya played in Thursday's 2-1 defeat to Colombia. Liverpool defender Kolo was an unused substitute.

o Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi is highly unlikely to be fit for the World Cup Group D showdown with Uruguay on Tuesday, according to the Azzurri's team doctor. "He has a muscle problem in his leg," Enrico Castellacci said.

Italy need at least a point to join Costa Rica in the last 16.

o France all but secured progress to the last 16 with their exhilarating 5-2 win over Switzerland on Friday night and man-of-the-match Karim Benzema wants to see more of the same against Ecuador in the Maracana on Wednesday.

France have netted eight goals in two matches and Benzema, who provided two assists against the Swiss on top of his goal, is eager to keep the momentum going.

"We were very pleased with the performance and we'll try to repeat it against Ecuador," said the Real Madrid striker. "I enjoyed the match, but when we get awards such as this one, it's down to the efforts of the team."

Benzema has been one of the stars of the tournament so far, with three goals to his credit. "I'm happy and proud," he said. "It was a big game against Switzerland and we scored goals and played as a team. We had heart to win that game."

Switzerland will be without Steve von Bergen for their final group match against Honduras in Manaus on Wednesday - and any further involvement they have in Brazil - after he broke a cheekbone in the defeat to France.

The Young Boys defender was accidentally kicked in the face by Olivier Giroud.

o Ecuador World Cup hero Enner Valencia is living a dream he first imagined when he sold milk as a youngster to buy football boots. Valencia put Ecuador on course to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup with both goals in Friday's 2-1 win over Honduras.

The double moved the 25-year-old striker level with Augustin Delgadoas as his country's all-time top scorer at the World Cup. It also meant Valencia had fulfilled an ambition he had held since he was growing up in the small port town of San Lorenzo in northern Ecuador.

"This is something I've dreamed about since I was a kid, when I was out in the countryside selling milk to buy football boots," he said.

"It's an amazing feeling. Words can't express how I felt when I got my head to the ball and realised it was going in. I couldn't stop screaming, I had such a rush of emotion."